Poor Will’s Almanack for the Third Week of Deep Winter.
The moon turned new just a few days ago, and now that moon, the Cranefly Moon, watches over the swarms of tiny craneflies – that look a little like mosquitoes – and which are common at this time of year.
February’s moon is the Lenten Rose Moon. The Lenten Rose or hellebore, opens as aconites and snowdrops blossom. Maple sap runs when hellebores bloom, and most of the nation's lambs are born.
When the maple trees flower, under March’s Maple Blossom Moon, then the first wave of wildflowers opens in the woods.
In April, under the Apple Blossom Moon, more and more trees come into flower. and the great violet and dandelion bloom begins.
May is the most fragrant time of the year in many yards, under the power of the Mock Orange Moon.
This year’s June Moon is the Wild Raspberry Moon. When wild raspberries are sweet enough to eat, then all the first brood of fledgelings have left the nest.
July, of course, brings sweet corn under the Sweet Corn Moon.
Dark blackberries usher in the season of Late Summer under the Blackberry Moon. When they are ripe enough to pick, then all the crickets and katydids will be singing through the nights.
Then September’s Harvest Moon shines on the harvest of field corn, one of the major turning points in the farm year.
In October, the last apple crop of the year is picked under the Cider Moon.
After most of the leaves come down, deer begin their mating seasons under November’s Deer Mating Moon.
And finally, as days become the shortest of the year, the Paperwhite Moon marks the planting of paperwhite bulbs for bloom near winter solstice keeps a winter garden to transition into the next phase of the garden year, the seeding of bedding plants for May.
This is Bill Felker with Poor Will’s Almanack. I’ll be back again next week with notes for the transition week to Late Winter. In the meantime, watch for craneflies during the month of the Cranefly Moon.
